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Shilpa Mehta Jain from Mumbai has proven her mettle despite being affected by polio, from her first attempt learning to drive, paraglide and swim in California. Read how she braved the challenges that came her way.
Shilpa Mehta Jain was born and raised in Mumbai, but her family has strong roots in Sanchore, a small village in Rajasthan. So, although being a woman with a disability didn’t seem like a double whammy for her, her extended family and society weren’t looking at her growing up.
“When I was in school, people used to tell my father to stop spending money on my education. School fees were around eight rupees a month at that time. They would express pity towards my father and tell him that he would need more dowry to marry me because I am disabled,” he says. The young man is 43 years old India’s best.
Shilpa was diagnosed with scoliosis (polio) when she was two months old, and developed a 94 percent post-polio syndrome that affected her lower extremities.
“Yeah, I’m disabled. So what? I’m able to do so many other things. I decided, ‘Boss, I have to do something to make my parents proud of!’,” she says.
brick by brick work
As a child, Shilpa had no friends at school. She could not play or accompany her classmates to the playground. Only during mental skills competitions, which were very limited, would she receive any prizes or affection from the teachers. So I realized early on that education is the key to success.
Despite the tremendous physical setback of living with polio, she set foot on an ambitious journey full of grit, passion, and determination. Shilpa scored 82 percent in Class 10 and 75 percent in Class 12.
She also proved her mettle when she became a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 2001. She successfully passed all three CA levels, considered one of the most challenging exams, on her first attempt. She has also completed an MCom and an MBA.
But while pursuing the competitive examination when she went to register herself for the essays, she was rejected by many companies despite being good in academics. “The only reason I was rejected is because of my disability. The articles need to go to other clients for proofreading. So, on my resume, I would say that I can travel independently. Normally, no one would have to mention this,” she recalls. Finally, I got the article from a reference.
Shilpa has worked hard to build a decent life one brick at a time.
Driving for swimming and paragliding
She also pursued various other interests—driving, swimming, trekking, paragliding, and kayaking without any help.
“I had to drop out of college when my driver didn’t come. I thought this shouldn’t hinder my education. I can’t depend on anyone. I started learning to ride a two-wheeler and later a four-wheeler,” says Shilpa.
“My husband used to introduce me to all kinds of sports. For him, my disability was not important.”
Like everyone else, she wanted to be physically fit. So, in 2018, you decided to learn swimming. But at every stage of her life, she was reminded of her disability.
“I had a hard time getting into classes as no one would let me swim. After six months of resisting, I went to a club and put my feet down. I told the coach that if he didn’t teach me to swim, I’d stay there. After realizing there was no way to get me fired, he asked me attendance in the afternoon group at the height of the summer months,” she recalls.
“I took this push. On the first day, we were 40; all 39 stood to one side, and I stood alone. I still remember what kind of looks I got; everyone was babble. However, within seven days, I learned to swim while the others struggled.” To get to the water I have now swum in rivers and oceans.
Meanwhile, people’s attitude towards her began to change once she became a CA. “When I started riding scooters, no one was sitting behind me. But when I got my degree and got my CA, people would often ask me to go on a ride to get ice cream,” Shilpa laughs, and adds, “Everything changed from the way I They talk to me the way they talk to my parents about who I am.”
To support 100 disabled people
On January 10 this year, Shilpa received the ICAI Award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for her diligent and excellent professional achievements. At the expense of gaining recognition, Shilpa has pledged to financially support 100 people with disabilities to pursue CA in the next 10 years.
“This award is a testimony that once you prove yourself, the world will finally recognize your abilities,” she says, adding: “When I received the award, many people congratulated me. I realized that I have achieved a lot. Why shouldn’t I give back to society? I should try to help people like me ( people with disabilities) to get articles and exposure…and to leverage my network for their own benefit.”
A day after receiving the award, Shilpa started a scholarship titled “Chantial Mehta Scholarship” in her father’s name. She has dedicated 10 lakh rupees of her savings towards this. So far, it has identified three visually impaired people from Alwar, Rajasthan, and will be financially assisting them to pursue CA.
“There are many people like me who started their careers, but at a certain point, they don’t get enough opportunities. This is why you will not find people with disabilities occupying higher positions. As a person with special needs, you may have to suffer more compared to others, But if you have abilities, nothing can stop you,” says Shilpa.
Edited by Pranita Bhatt
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